The Laughing Fish
Season 2 Episode 6 The catch of the night comes in and the fishermen take a look. They are horrified and disgusted to see that every fish is white with green fins, and a huge Joker smile. Batman watches from afar and mutters, "He's made his move." While Batman returns to the Batcave and analyzes a Joker Fish, the Joker goes to the Gotham Office of Copyrights. He heads up to a random worker, Mr. Carl Francis, and starts to talk business. However, he warns Francis not to speak, and hits him with a fish to drive home his point. This prompts Harley to spray him with a "perfume" to rid him of the fish smell. Joker explains his plan: since all the fish in Gotham Harbor now bear his likeness, he is entitled to royalties. Bewildered, Francis tells him that fish are a natural resource and cannot be copyrighted. An angered Joker gives Francis until midnight to change his mind. Back in the Batcave, Batman learns the toxin only affects fish. Just then, a commercial for the Joker fish comes on and Joker repeats his threat against Francis. The police set up guards around Francis in his house, and Bullock is confident that the house is secure. However, Batman slips in easily, and says the Joker will too. Outiside, a Joker van with a swordfish on top drives up. Batman asks Francis if he's alright, and he says it's just that he didn't rinse off the "gunk" Harley sprayed him with. Batman immediately shouts at Commissioner Gordon to call an ambulance, but just then, the van launches its swordfish, rocketpopelled, through the window and into the room. It sprays a gas, and when Francis breaths it, he begins laughing hysterically and a Joker grin appears on his face. Fortunately, Batman is able to inject him with an anti-toxin. He explains that the gas that Francis just breathed was one part of a binary compound, and the "perfume" that Harley sprayed was the other part. Joker then appears on the television and announces the name of his next target, copyright office bureaucrat Thomas Jackson, unless his demands are met by 3 A.M. Again, the police and Batman try to protect Mr. Jackson, this time with Batman acting as a decoy for Jackson. However, the Joker sends Jacksons cat into the room, infected by a Joker fish. The cat knows immediately who its master is, and attacks, scratching Jackson and poisoning him with the same toxin. Batman injects the anti-toxin into both Jackson and the cat. Both Francis and Jackson have survived the Joker's attack on them, but Bullock is tired of waiting for the next attack and takes matters into his own hands. After he storms out, Batman notices that the Joker fish the cat was carrying is an exotic Japanese species, not native to Gotham's waters. Bullock enters a closed harbor aquarium, but Harley finds him and takes him captive. The Joker then starts to lower Bullock into a shark tank, but realizes that Batman will arrive soon and he's the one Joker really wants. Batman arrives and persuades Joker to allow him to switch places with Bullock. The Joker eagerly agrees and drops him in the pool, then shoves a lump of hamburger into Bullock's hands and pushes him in after Batman. The shark is instantly attracted to the blood from the hamburger. Batman manages to straddle the shark and use his wrist shackles as a crude bridle. He steers the shark into the side of the tank, which breaks the glass, spilling himself and Bullock onto the aquarium floor, and the shark into the bay outside. Batman then heads to the roof to face Joker. Joker attacks Batman with a wrench, but Batman ultimately outdoes him and Joker is left with no place to run. Facing arrest yet again, he jumps off the roof towards the harbor below. On the way down, he blows up a rubber ducky life preserver, but realizes to late that the shark is circling the water below him. He plunges into the ocean, and the shark dives in, seemingly devouring him. Gordon then arrives to round up Harley and the remaining goons. He asks Batman if he believes the Joker is gone for good. Batman looks out to the sea, and bluntly responds that as much as he wishes it were true, he doubts it deep inside. The shark does indeed dive in and of the water, but there is no trace of the Joker, dead or alive. Category:Batman : The Animated Series Category:DC Animated Universe